This invention relates generally to tools that aid in mounting wheels and tires upon vehicles and, more particularly, to a portable tire and wheel lifting apparatus that assists in the lifting and placing of a tire and wheel combination onto an automobile.
Longer and longer average commuting distances mean more people will experience tire problems on the road. Although some can afford roadside service, for others this is beyond their means or simply unavailable. Further, some drivers take comfort in the knowledge that they can handle common maintenance tasks themselves.
A full size, inflated car tire can weigh over 30 pounds, and truck tires can weigh even more. This weight presents a problem for smaller individuals, the elderly, and others. A jack is commonly used to lift a car, but no comparable product exists to aid motorists in lifting the tire and placing it onto the car.
Devices for lifting vehicle wheels are known in the art, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,597, U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,531, U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,789, U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,578, U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,745, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,644, but are directed to lifting large vehicle wheels, are neither compact nor lightweight, cannot be conveniently stored in smaller vehicles, and thus do not aid motorists in changing a tire on a roadside. Further, many of these devices require arm strength to power the lifting means. This required arm strength is often problematic for smaller individuals, the elderly, and others.
Other devices for lifting vehicle wheels utilize the mechanical advantage provided by a simple lever, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,438 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,226. Since the rotational force gained from levers is in direct proportion to the distance between the fulcrum and the applied force, these devices are often too large to be conveniently stored in an automobile. Moreover, these devices are often difficult, cumbersome, or messy to use since an individual must keep his weight on the lever at all times while changing the tire.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a tire and wheel lifting device that is compact and lightweight, can be conveniently stored in smaller vehicles, does not require arm strength to power the lifting means, does not require the user to maintain his weight on the device, and allows rotation of the tire to match the holes of the rim with the vehicle's hub to aid motorists in changing a tire.